In this study of engineering students’ course evaluations at two institutions, Dee found no correlation between student perceptions of high course workload and low overall instructor performance ratings. This is contrary to what Dee reports as a common belief (one held by 54% of faculty) that “to get favourable evaluations, professors demand less from students” (p. 69). On the other hand, many items were strongly correlated with overall instructor performance ratings, including “the professor used teaching methods that helped me learn”, “the professor met the course objectives”, and “the professor was generally well-prepared for class”.

Recommendation: The article is heavy on statistics, but the results are interesting and compelling - and could provide an excellent starting point for conversations with faculty, particularly those in engineering, math, and science disciplines.

Submitted by Nicola Simmons, Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE), University of Waterloo

Gale and Golde present clear argument for introducing doctoral students not only to teaching, but also to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), and offer several tips as well as suggested resources on how this can be accomplished. The article’s perspective is American, with strong ties to the Carnegie Foundation’s work, but the resources are accessible to all, and the issues addressed are pervasive.

Recommendations: A very clear read for those beginning to think about SoTL, particularly when considering programs for graduate students. Some nice quotable sections for substantiating the need for such programs.

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